HRI may have dropped the ball but it scrambled adequately and new plan is solid

Only those most indoctrinated to Horse Racing Ireland’s default PR strategy of unremitting positivity would describe the past month as a success for the semi-state body.

When the government announced a month ago that it was banning mass gatherings of 5,000 people or more until September 1, the racing and breeding industries’ governing authority was caught unawares.

A week later, HRI was also left floundering when it emerged that the government’s roadmap for lifting the Covid-19 restrictions meant racing was marooned in the third phase from June 29 onwards.